Driven by sheer instinct, Aridean turned and wrapped her arms around the small half-elven girl at her side. As the war cry wailed loudly in her ears, signaling the lizarian’s charge, the minotaur attempted to bend her knees and leap backwards to avoid the oncoming attack. Rather than push herself off the marshy soil and fly through the air immediately over the ground for any length of time, Aridean found herself stumbling to the ground with Magdalene in tow, one of her hooves having sunk too deeply into some of the slick mud that made up the terrain. While the two fell, the whistle of their assailant’s blade sang right beside of Aridean’s ear as it flew just over her head.

  With a frightened gasp and a startled shriek, the two girls plopped down into a cold puddle. Dirt and murky water had been flung up from their point of impact upon the slippery ground; specks of mud having splattered across their faces and coated their sides. Not waiting for Magdalene to catch her breath, the young girl coughing up some of the mud that had splashed upon her lips and into her mouth, Aridean shoved the half-elf across the slick ground. Turning to look upwards at her opponent, the lizarian had already brought his twin blades over his head in preparation for another attack.

  Eyes wide with shock as air was sucked in between gritted teeth, the minotaur rolled in the opposite direction from which she had thrown Magdalene. Just barely over the beating of her heart within her eardrums, Aridean could hear the slap of the weapons having sunk into the mud she had fallen upon. Trying to gain a bit of distance, the minotaur continued to roll on her side for two more cycles while keeping her arms close to her chest. During her third roll when she had rotated onto her stomach and while the lizardman was busy pulling free his swords from the grip of the mud, Aridean pushed against the cold, wet dirt and sprung up just a foot in the air over the ground. As though with practiced ease, the minotaur quickly had reclaimed her footing upon her hooves before reaching for the battle axe she kept hanging upon her back.

  What are we doing?! Why is this happening?! Dammit! We never really wanted to fight you! the minotaur had practically begun to scream in her mind. Although her legs felt weak beneath, anxiety and dread siphoning whatever warmth her blood had meant to carry to her extremities, the minotaur assumed a somewhat shaky defensive stance.

  “Do you require help with this scaly whelpling, my dear?” came the familiar and gravely deep voice. It sounded as though the spirit that the voice belonged to had been sitting upon her now muddied shoulder, directing the inquiry right into her ear. It was only as the scaled warrior managed to pry free the two blades he grasped from the cold ground that Vici appeared from behind a tree just a few paces from where Aridean’s assailant stood. The abominable entity’s deep and rumbling chuckle could be heard as if it stood right beside of the confused minotaur as its clawed feet slowly marched it over to the lizarian warrior. Vici’s apparent amusement, however, dissipated quickly as a bolt of incandescent light flew past his face, missing both the spirit and the reptile the former had been creeping up on.

  All eyes turned in the direction from which the beam of magical energy had originated to find Magdalene standing a distance away. Aridean’s ear flicked at the annoyed, low growl that seemed to almost come from within the back of her own head. It took the minotaur a few seconds to simply register that the agitated rumbling was not originating from the lizardman that had been the obvious target for the blast of magic power. Aridean had shifted her gaze over toward where Vici stood just a foot or two from the gladiator. She could see that white-furred brows had been furrowed over the creature’s empty eye sockets and thought that a low growl resonated within her ears. Nevertheless, Vici turned and began to walk into the nearby, murky swamp water. Each step in Vici’s tread seemed to drop further and further downward into the pooling brown water around the bizarre shape in such a fashion that it seemed the spirit had simply descended down a flight of stairs, his hulking form having been entirely swallowed by the cold marsh.

  With the spirit having vanished beneath the rippling pool, Aridean refocused upon the reptilian warrior. Large and sharp teeth were on full display as he snarled in the direction from which the magic attacks had come from. Following her opponent’s gaze, Aridean was somewhat alarmed to see Magdalene. The young half-elven girl held both of her hands out, palms facing the direction of the lizarian while the brilliant, incandescent glow lingered about her fingers. It was as the scaled threat lifted his foot, whether to prepare for a rush on the girl or to simply adjust his weight, the bright glow around Magdalene’s hands began to glow brighter and brighter. After a brief second to focus, Magdalene adjusted her aim and fired off two more blasts of magical energy directly at the lizarian.

  Both brilliantly glowing bolts of light whistled through the air like arrows from a bow. The lizarian warrior kept his eyes focused on the projectiles being flung his way while his snarling grew ever louder. With a simple sidestep, mud squishing loudly beneath his uncovered toes, the scaled brute dodged out of the way of Magdalene’s attack. Aridean’s ears perked and mouth fell slightly agape at the sight of one of the reptile’s blades being lifted in Magdalene’s direction. Having been made the focus of the hostile lizardman had silently startled Magdalene somewhat as the concentration painted across her face had wavered and the glow surrounding her hands began to dim and fade away entirely.

  “Sheerah! U’kresh!” the lizarian warrior snarled while pointing the blade in his right hand toward Magdalene. The young girl, stunned by the already intimidating character having directed his weapon at her, felt chills crawl down her spine as the massive bear turned in her direction and roared aggressively.

  “Y-you crush?!” Magdalene called out confusedly trying to make sense of the reptilian man’s command. Aridean watched, petrified, as the inexplicably large ursine rose from where it sat. One colossal paw with claws bigger than her entire torso had been lifted from the soaked and slippery ground before being moved closer to the half-elf that stood just meters away. The monstrously large beast began to slowly tread nearer and nearer to Magdalene whilst growling with a deep, frightening hostility. The young girl, horror having overwhelmed her, had merely taken several anxious steps back before she found herself pressed up against the trunk of a thick tree.

  “W-wha—?! W-what are you doing?!” cried Aridean, trying to muster up enough self-control to simply speak. Appalled was the minotaur that stood in stunned disbelief; the warrior’s pet bear slowly advanced upon the young girl that had already lost the will to flee. Magdalene’s eyes, opened wide with horror, fixed upon the muzzle that had wrinkled in rage as the bear growled audibly while approaching.

  With her heart pounding within her chest, Aridean’s ear flicked only at the sound of a loud splashing sound in the swampy waters nearby. She had turned just in time to adjust her weapon, bringing it to a slight angle in front of her neck, to parry one of the reptilian outcast’s two blades. Her own eyes had gone wide to see the bizarre expression upon her assailant’s scaled features; his brows had furrowed and his lipless mouth had been drawn back into an intimidating scowl. Yet his dark green eyes shone with something that had entirely contrasted the apparent fury he had masked his expression with.

  Despite the unexpected glimmer within the lizarian’s gaze, Aridean found herself choking on a sharp gasp. Though her axe still held one of the warrior’s blades at bay, a muscled, scaled hand had lifted the second up to eye level with the tip pointed directly toward the frightened minotaur. As the arm carrying the well-worn weapon began to thrust forward, Aridean gasped again before throwing herself backwards entirely.

  “We fight, gav’tuu! We fight!” the lizarian’s deep voice bellowed as Aridean fell half into the swamp, her landing punctuated by the splash of the murky water and slap of mud beneath her. She could feel a sharp stinging sensation in her right ear and a deep red color had begun to flow down the right side of her neck and into her shirt. Looking up from her place on the wet ground, the minotaur watched in slight confusion as the reptile re-steadied himself in preparation for another bout. As quick as she could, Aridean climbed to her hooves, cold water and mud sliding down her shirt and pants as her attacker exclaimed, “Sheerah make sure WE fight!”

  With his declaration of war, the lizarian leapt into action once more with his blades brought up and prepared for an attack. Just as soon as his clawed toes splashed into the water, only feet away from where Aridean’s hooves soaked, the clang of metal against metal echoed throughout the area. Both of the short swords that the lizardman had equipped himself with were held at bay again by a successful parry from Aridean. Being forced into such a situation, similar to the time in which she had unwittingly battled her own adopted father, had prompted memories of the event to replay in her mind.

  Why… why now of all times? Aridean mourned internally. The humid but fresh air that lingered throughout the swamp had started to smell of burning wood and the thick smokestacks. Even taking her eyes off of the lizarian for a mere second had seemingly transported her back to that wretched time where the massive flames had swallowed up her childhood home. Screams had filled her ears as a deep ache took root within her chest. The minotaur was brought back to reality, however, as one more familiar scream seemed to drown out the rest.

  Aridean’s opponent continued to press down upon her axe with his pair of blades; the metal edges scraping against one another in an ear-bleeding cacophony. Blinking her nightmarish memory away along with the blur of small, fresh tears, she shifted on her hooves. With one forceful shove, Aridean had successfully repelled the lizardman who stumbled back only slightly, the water around his feet splashing loudly with every motion. Disregarding her assailant, the minotaur turned in the direction from which she had heard the more pronounced scream to find Magdalene with her back pressed against a tree and a bear far larger than any she had ever seen slowly approaching.

  “A-Ari, I—,” the half-elven girl had begun to call out in a panic. Her voice was immediately turned to another frightened shriek as the massive ursine roared loudly. Spittle flew from long and sharpened teeth that could have easily torn the girl into two while the creature was large enough to simply swallow her whole. Dread washed over Aridean, but she was immediately disrupted from moving to assist her companion as the lizarian resumed his attack with an audible and hostile snarl.

  One visibly worn sword came down in a diagonal slash that Aridean ducked to the side of. Her foe’s second blade came at her in a horizontal pattern, prompting the minotaur jumped backward in the shallow swamp water to evade the blow. Growling loudly and spewing various things in his unfamiliar tongue, the lizardman continued his assault. Even though she was unable to comprehend her enemy, Aridean could tell that the reptilian man was growing more and more agitated and enraged by her continuous blocking or dodging. Once she had successfully managed to capture the lizardman in another clash of blade against blade, the minotaur observed with wide and uncertain eyes as a clawed hand emerged from behind her opponent.

  “It would seem your companion is in grave danger. What will you do?” Vici’s voice called as the creature stepped out from behind the lizarian. The two glowing lights within the monstrous form’s eye sockets seemed to be sizing the reptile up, as if judging him. While the beastly entity spoke directly to Aridean, it lifted a clawed finger and pointed in the direction of Magdalene. Following the beast’s instruction, the minotaur gasped at the sight of Magdalene having now slunk down to the base of the tree she had shoved herself against. Pushing back on the lizarian’s twin short swords again, Aridean turned back to Vici as he spoke, “Will you just abandon her, just the same as you’ve done to everyone else?”

  A-abandon? I… I didn’t… I didn’t mean to… Aridean began to refute in her head. Even her thoughts denying the claim sounded weak in her mind as guilt weighed heavily upon her heart. Barely focusing on the lizardman lunging at her once again, the minotaur had had only ducked a swipe from the reptilian’s blade directed toward her head in the nick of time. As she scrambled back to her hooves, Aridean felt a mild stinging in her right ear as something warm and wet began to clump her brown fur and slide down the side of her head. Instantly realizing that the lizarian had just clipped her ear, a wave of shock and dread had washed over the minotaur: her assailant was serious about this battle.

  The lizardman’s intense glare persisted even as he slowly repositioned himself and waited for any sort of retaliation. His thin, forked tongue flicked in and out of his mouth a number of times before his gaze shifted down to the weathered blade, lined with a thin stream of crimson, firmly grasped in his hand. Aridean’s still bleeding ear flicked at the disgruntled groan her opponent emitted before he returned his focus to the minotaur with a low growl. With a sudden flick of his wrist, the droplet of blood oozing down his weapon had been thrown from the metal surface and splashed into the dark, murky water the combatants stood in.

  Why is everyone hellbent on making me remember all my failures? Aridean internally lamented while fighting back tears that echoed her past feelings and choking through the tightness gripping her throat. Despite her best efforts, enough moisture had accumulated upon her eyelids to blur her vision just as the lizarian warrior lunged forward again. One of the scaled fighter’s blades came in as a horizontal swipe aimed at Aridean’s waist whereas the second blade fell in a vertical slash from overhead. A frightened breath hung in the minotaur’s lugs as she watched the metal weapons slice through the air before her during a backwards leap. Once her hooves had settled upon the cold and slick surface of the soil lying beneath the swamp water, Aridean once again brought up her battle axe in a prepared position. While her outward appearance displayed confidence, the minotaur was internally struggling with Vici’s proposition; she simply could not decide whether or not to relinquish control.

  One shrill gasp, brought about by another mortified scream, had knocked her from her concentration. Looking past the reptilian man that held his blades high in front of her and growled quietly, Aridean observed that her young companion remained stuck between a metaphorical rock and hard place. Magdalene had pushed herself as tightly against the tree she had backed into as she could and even still the enormous ursine loomed over her and would occasionally let loose another uproarious roar directly into the half-elf girl’s face. Her shirt and dress were stained with bear spittle, sweat, and mud that would leave stains or a lingering odor. Grunting her sudden annoyance with the world around her, Aridean shifted on her hooves and caught another one of the lizarian’s attacks at just the last minute.

  “Vici… can you stop him?” Aridean whispered aloud. The minotaur’s words were almost entirely drowned out by the displeasing sound of metal scraping against metal and the splash of something nearby within the bog. Her gaze focused intently on the bear that loomed over Magdalene as Vici’s laughter filled her ears.

  “I can do so much more than simply stop a foolish skink such as this oaf,” replied the spirit just as Aridean managed to force the lizard to our tumble backwards with another forceful shove on the weapons he bore down upon her with. Unsurprisingly, the lizarian had quickly managed to regain his footing despite the slippery mud beneath the waters that they both stood in.

  “I just want him to stop. I don’t want to hurt him,” Aridean continued to whisper her desire to Vici. Her ear flicked again, sending a small droplet of blood falling toward the dark brown water. The unseen spirit now let loose an audibly frustrated groan within her ears. Turning her head, Aridean caught Vici now standing over Vladimir who stirred slightly with a pained moan but otherwise remained unconscious upon the muddied ground.

  “Fine then, my dear, he will stop and he will be left unharmed,” Vici assured. As the monstrous form spoke, it had begun to descend from the damp land and into the filthy water. Aridean watched, her eyes wide, as a dark fog-like substance formed around the spirit’s clawed fingers. The mist quickly began to spread up Vici’s hands and arms before spreading across his body until the hulking, beastly form had been fully swallowed by the dense cloud of pitch black.

  Pitch black vapors, dark as a moonless night sky, swirled around the position in which Vici had once been standing. Nothing remained of the spirit’s horrific body save for the glowing yellow iris-like features that sat in the back of his empty eye sockets. The creature’s entire being had become one with the fog-like mist that now slowly floated toward Aridean. The minotaur gasped her surprise as the dark cloud coalesced in on itself before firing directly at her like an arrow shot from a bow.

  Just the same as the previous day’s duel, the black vapors that Vici had dissolved into were launched directly into Aridean’s right eye. Her right hand had lost its grip upon the massive axe she carried as the minotaur’s hand flew up toward her face. Heaven’s Edge splashed into the shallow, murky water around Aridean’s hooves; the blade itself having been lodged into in the underlying soil beneath the surface of the swamp. The minotaur let loose a few quiet whimpers and more vocal grunts of pain as the impact of the black cloud against her eye left the entire right side of her face throbbing. A burning sensation that had initially started with the throbbing had quickly cascaded across her face and over her head to the point that even her horns tingled. Sucking in the humid air through gritted teeth, the minotaur stood in the shallows of the bog whilst clutching to their head that was wracked with inexplicable pain.

  During the time that Aridean had begun clutching her now throbbing head in tensed hands, the lizardman took note of the opening that he had been allowed. Growling low once again, the scaled individual felt every muscle in his arms and legs tense with anticipation. His limbs waited impatiently for his command to charge the minotaur that suffered some unseen ailment. Yet, the command to spring forth from his battle-ready position never came. Instead, the lizarian warrior’s growl had ceased abruptly by an audible grunt of dissatisfaction before both of his blades had been lowered slightly from their readied position. Behind him, the colossal bear roared once more; its deafening cry followed immediately by Magdalene’s frightened screaming.

  “Will you just shut up already?” muttered the minotaur that now stood stone still with her face in her hands. Upon hearing her voice, the blades carried by scaled hands were lifted once more and focused intent shone in the reptilian’s eyes. He watched as a furred hand slowly fell away from the minotaur’s face, revealing to him the furious scowl that now painted Aridean’s face. Watching as the other hand fell away from the furious, furred features, the lizarian lunged forward at the sight of Aridean’s right hand reaching for the haft of her massive battle axe. Roaring his own war cry, the lizardman brought down both blades in a cross-diagonal slashing maneuver.

  Cold water splashed against his digitigrade legs as he stopped abruptly in his charge. The warrior let out a quiet and surprised gasp to see that his attack had not even followed through. Each of his wrists had been restrained just above his head by furred hands. Wide eyes focused upon the minotaur that had seemingly effortlessly halted his attack instead of dodging or even collecting her own weapon for defense. Rather than struggle or attempt another act of aggression, the lizarian held his breath as Aridean craned her neck back before launching her own cranium forward with an impressive amount of force. Both of their skulls collided, the reptilian warrior letting loose an audible grunt through gritted teeth before stumbling back just a few steps.

  Hissing, the lizarian cradled his head in one hand as the arm to the other was visibly tensed and rigid at his side. Somewhat stunned by the force of the blow, the loud splashing quickly approaching had not registered with him. Eyes had gone wide as something pried his hand from his head. Before the reptile was Aridean, scowling ferociously and pulling his hand away.

  First a gasp and then a pained snarl worked its way out of the lizarian’s throat as a tremendous amount of pressure was applied to his wrist. Holding firm to the scaled appendage, Aridean was now bearing down on a pressure point near her opponent’s thumb. Despite the pain, the warrior still held firm to his weapon and managed enough focus to set his sights upon the minotaur attacking him. He brought up his unclaimed hand and went to swipe at Aridean who immediately released her grip to jump back and out of the way.

  “Damn tenacious little skink…” the minotaur muttered as cool, murky water licked at her legs. Rather than respond, the lizarian reset his stance and looked fully prepared to keep the fight going. Just as Aridean brought up her fists once more, another loud roar followed by a frightened shriek rang out. Whipping around to face the source of the noise, Aridean extended one hand, “Oh, to hell with this.”

  With just a snap of her fingers, the minotaur could feel the magic in her body flare up. Initially, just a few brightly glowing, orange sparks appeared before her hand, similar t the sparks coming off of tinder as it is struck. After just a couple of seconds, a brilliant string of orange began to fly from the minotaur’s hand. The beam zipped through the air in zig-zag motions at incredible speed; the colossal ursine had no time to react as the magic energy struck it in the side of its face. Upon making contact with the overgrown bear, a miniature bomb had practically been set off right where the attack had landed. The immediate area was filled with the scent of burning fur as the bear wailed uproariously and reeled back. Having seized the opportunity, Magdalene immediately retreated behind the tree she had been forced into.

  “Sheera!” the lizarian shouted in clear shock at what he had just witnessed. Snarling, his scaled legs lifted from the water as he began to rush toward the massive bear that continued to cry out in pain. He stopped, however, as a furred hand grasped his wrist once more. Before he could even react, the reptilian warrior let out an uncomfortable gasp as his limb was twisted painfully. Lifting his unbound wrist, still carrying one of his two blades, the scaled man did not even have the chance to swing at his aggressor again as Aridean lifted the hand she held in a vice-like grip over her head. Shifting her hooves in the shallow water, the minotaur had slung the scaled limb over her shoulder and with it followed the lizarian warrior. His scaled body flew through the air just over Aridean before falling back down to the cool swamp waters below, where he crashed back down with an audible splash. Through his blurred vision, the reptile groaned as a fuzzy outline hovered over him. Blinking away the stars in his eyes, the scaled individual found that Aridean stood over him and held one of his own blades toward him. An agitated growl rumbled from the back of his throat as the lizardman snarled, “Naegh tu’rokta, gav’tuu!”

  As the lizarian shouted, the minotaur noticed the bright green glow that had enveloped the warrior’s scaled hand. Still lying face up in the shallows of the swamp, the lizardman lifted his hand, muscles visibly tense with fury, slightly out of the water before immediately slamming it back down against the cool liquid surface with a splash. The crack of ice rang out as the water just in front of the reptile’s claw-tipped fingers froze solid in an instant. A small lump of ice had formed near instantaneously and from that lump, the ice had sprung forth like a bolt from a crossbow and began to rush the minotaur standing over the lizarian.

  Aridean let loose an audible grunt, followed by the splashing of water around her soaked legs which joined in the cacophonous symphony that were the bugs buzzing and chirping unseen throughout the swamp. Trudging through the soaked, slippery mud beneath the gently rippling waves at her ankles, the minotaur stumbled backwards while holding to the side of her head where the magical attack had struck. Upon steadying herself Aridean could be heard breathing loudly, as she tried blinking the stars in her vision away.

  “Ough… my head…” Aridean complained, still pressing her palm to the base of her right horn atop her furred head. She could feel a mild throbbing in her skull, yet no direct pain nor the warmth of inflammation or blood. Finally clearing her vision, the minotaur opened her eyes enough to gaze down at the water just in front of her where the lizardman had been lying. In his place, the water flowed in short waves back toward Aridean and away from the bank where she had left her companions. Searching for the origin of the ripples, the lizarian had, much to Aridean’s astonishment, fled the battle and was now climbing up drenched soil, “Vici… what did you do?”

  “I stopped that fool that sought to bring you harm, my dear,” Vici’s voice whispered in the minotaur’s ear. The disembodied voice sent a shiver down Aridean’s spine; the spirit’s unseen presence remained an oddity that the minotaur had yet to grow accustomed to. Swallowing the anxious lump in her throat, her free hand moved up to her now slightly ajar mouth. Her eyes remained fixated upon the lizarian warrior as he worked to calm his impossibly large bear that thrashed about after the blast of magic Aridean had hit it with. Speechless, the only indication that she had heard anything at all was the flick of her ear as Vici continued, “I did as you asked: he is unharmed. Though you never said anything about leaving that that pitiful cub unscathed.”

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  How can you be so nonchalant about all this, Vici? Despite all that time it loomed over Maggie… was it really going to attack her? Was it… just trying to keep Maggie out of the fight? Aridean wondered to herself as she remained rooted to her place in the shallow water of the swamp. Cool, if dark and dirty, water continued to lap at her lower legs as the reptilian man that had just been attacking her tended to his oversized pet bear. Out of the corner of her eye, she spied movement not far from where the lizardman now stood. Turning her attention to what it was that shuffled in her peripherals, Aridean found Vladimir rising to his now mud-stained boots. Blood drenched the nobleman’s coat and pants but his severed hand had now been reattached to his arm.

  “Sheera, vass, vass… mola’te vieo,” came the deep, rumbling voice of the lizardman. Returning her focus to her former enemy, the minotaur could see a bright green glow emanating from his scaled hands as he channeled some form of healing magics over the scorched skin around the behemoth ursine’s left eye. The beast’s pained wails slowly began to quiet as the reptile worked and spoke as soft and hushed tones as his grave voice would allow. Shaking her head, the minotaur finally dropped her hand from her horn and moved to collect her battle axe. With her weapon in hand, Aridean waded through the waters back to the soaked shoreline where Magdalene and Vladimir waited.

  “T-thanks for the save, Ari,” Magdalene stuttered, still somewhat frightened by the whole ordeal that had just transpired. The young girl was visibly shaking and moved to keep Aridean between her and the oversized bear that lie in a heap nearby. Vladimir had let out a quiet sigh as he flexed his recently reattached hand a few times.

  “I apologize for my rash behavior, Ms. Gray. I should have at least heard you and Ms. Yorre out first before challenging a lizarian,” a dejected Vladimir commented. The man, a solemn look upon his visage, refused to lift his gaze to meet with Aridean’s own. Having supplied an apology for having dragged the two girls into a battle they wanted no part in, Vladimir heaved another depressed sigh as he lowered his hands to his sides.

  “D-don’t worry about it, Vlad, and I’m glad you’re okay, Maggie, but now I… kind of feel bad for him,” Aridean replied as she returned her focus to the lizarian. His scaled palms hovered over the blistered skin and burnt fur upon the bear’s head, slowly remedying the afflicted skin.

  Aridean felt a pang of guilt wrack her heart; she had never liked hurting animals, even the wolves or coyotes that threatened the sheep on Simon’s farm. Vici’s attack, which came from her own hand and magic, would have been life threatening had the lizarian not acted as quick as he had. Despite the distance between them, the group of travelers could visibly see the skin being grown back into place over exposed bone yet none of the fur seemed to grow back in. Once the reptile had finally finished his work, the bear was left with a pale scar over its eye. The large animal could be heard letting out a deep rumble as the glow around the lizarian’s hands faded away. Stroking the beast’s fur softly, a large tongue escaped the ursine’s lips and licked up the length of the lizardman’s arm affectionately.

  It reminds me a lot of Mott and me… Even though his bear is so large and intimidating, I’m still feeling a bit jealous, Aridean mentally commented as she observed the two enjoying one another’s company despite the circumstances. Slightly startled, the minotaur’s eyes had gone wide as something nudged her from behind. Turning around, she found that it had simply been Magdalene, leaning out from behind her and looking to the lizarian warrior and bear.

  “Should we… go talk to him?” the half-elven girl asked hesitantly, her eyes only shifting up toward Aridean before immediately returning to the odd pair a short distance away.

  “I… would like the opportunity to at least apologize for having instigated all this,” Vladimir confessed. Both Aridean and Magdalene turned to human to see that he had finally lifted his gaze from the ground at his feet. A more serious expression now painted his partially covered face and both hands had been crossed behind his back. His normal air of refinement now seemed to mix with an uncharacteristic sternness. Allowing herself a moment to collect her thoughts and ponder what they might say after the altercation, Aridean took a deep breath before nodding her head. Together the three made a slow approach toward the lizardman and his enormous bear. Once the odd group had come within several meters of the bear, a low growl began to resound throughout the area and its fur began to stand on end in anticipation.

  Without hesitation, Magdalene once again moved to hide behind Aridean as the beast let out an aggressive roar. Although the bear moved to stand, scaled arms wrapped as far around the oversized muzzle and dragged the animal back to the ground. Although it fought slightly against the unspoken commands of its owner, the bear lay back on the muddied ground and glared at the three travelers that stood behind the lizarian while growling louder. With the bear confined to the damp marshy soil, a scaled hand continued to slowly stroke through the fur just over the fresh scar as a defeated sigh escaped the reptilian’s throat.

  “Gav’tuu not kill Sheera if give up?” asked the lizarian, not even turning to face the group. His inquiry had caught all three of the strange band off guard as eyes had gone wide on head face and curious glances were exchanged. After a brief pause to process, Aridean shook her head and took another hesitant step forward to the large bear’s vocal upset.

  “W-what?” Aridean returned, halting her advance as the ursine jolted forward only slightly. One open scaled palm was placed on the center of the bear’s head before gently pushing the huge body back toward the ground. Something about the gesture from its owner had entirely changed the beast’s attitude as the growling was near instantly replaced with soft whimpering. Finally turning back to face the group, the lizarian kept both of his hands out at his sides to block his supposed enemies from his pet.

  “Gav’tuu hunt deimn’la,” the lizardman said as he took a single step forward. Even just the meter of separation between the two prompted a pitiful wail from the enormous bear behind him. Aridean and Magdalene both were taken aback as the reptilian slowly lowered himself toward the ground. With a solemn grunt, the lizarian warrior bowed his head with hands and knees upon the moist earth, “kill deimn’la; leave Sheera.”

  Both the minotaur and half-elf each stood in stunned silence at the gesture presented to the team by their unusual acquaintance. Jaws had fallen agape as restless eyes ran up and down the scaled figure that presented his head as though ready for the chopping block. Out of the corner of her eye, Aridean glanced over to see that even Vladimir was biting his lip. Not even the man who had full intentions of battling the defeated warrior could quietly stand to see such a display. None of the travelers made a move as the eerie ambiance of the swamp took over again. For a time, it seemed as though the entire group had frozen in time; even Sheera the bear had fallen silent save for a dreary huff that blew hot air towards all the humanoids. Catching her breath again after the shock, Aridean shook her head gently.

  “Look, c-can we start over? We’ve come to the swamp because we need more soldiers for the rebellion but we didn’t come with the intention of killing you,” the minotaur managed to anxiously suggest. Aridean’s gentle, if nervous tone, was met with a low growl from the warrior that sat slumped over at her hooves. Baring a row of sharp, even teeth, the lizarian lifted his head to snarl aggressively at the group. Despite the vocal hostility, the scaled individual remained rooted in place; his limbs visibly tensed in anticipation though they refrained from making any movement.

  “High shaman want deimn’la head. Why gav’tuu wait?!” the lizarian angrily demanded. Although her intention was not to upset, the forceful response had left Aridean speechless for a moment. Before the spontaneous confusion regarding the lizardman’s insistence on his own execution could pass, Magdalene skirted around the minotaur and the reptile. The half-elf, a red blush to her cheeks, stood before the bear with her hands on her hips. With another puff of hot breath, the ursine must had unsettled the young girl enough to put some distance between the two.

  “Yeesh, he’s as bad as you when it comes to listening to what we’re saying,” Magdalene announced while looking to Vladimir and taking several steps away from the massive bear.

  “I apologize for my rash behavior earlier, Ms. Yorre,” Vladimir apologized with a courteous bow of his head. Lifting his head again, the nobleman turned his attention to Aridean, “Ms. Gray, I do feel I must remind you that our current objective is rather inflexible given the less-than-hospitable nature of the lizarians. I will confess to a… hesitancy on my part now that our acquaintance is in a more cooperative state of mind.”

  “Vlad, please, there must be some way to appease the shaman without having to fight,” replied Aridean, her voice near begging the man to offer another solution to the current situation. Despite knowing exactly what the high shaman expected of her, Aridean had felt the discomfort within her chest growing steadily as she and her companions ventured into the swamp from Miahnn’uli. Now, after having reluctantly fought with her target, that discomfort had welled up to a near suffocating ache within her chest. Although the minotaur was fully prepared to beg, that choking feeling she had been suffering seemed to press tighter as the human simply shook his head dejectedly.

  “I’m afraid I would not know of any method we might try: the lizarian people simply do not tolerate those they perceive as weak. It is just their way of life: the weak exist solely to feed the strong,” explained Vladimir, his tone sullen and heavy. A tightness began to form in the back Aridean’s throat as she felt her entire body sulk in defeat. Ears had fallen flat against her head as her shoulders drooped and the grip upon her axe loosened. Although she had allowed her mind to go blank, the minotaur’s eyes fell upon the lizarian at her hooves.

  “Well? You can just take his head and be done with it all now,” whispered Vici’s disembodied voice from somewhere very close to Aridean’s right ear. The minotaur had not even flinched at this phantom voice having called out to her; Vici’s bizarre tricks slowly becoming a norm for her. Swallowing hard the anxiety building her throat, the lump tightening to the point of choking her, Aridean’s fingers wrapped more and more snug around the haft of her weapon.

  What kind of guardian spirit are you, Vici? You want me to… kill someone who’s done nothing to me? I… I’ve never… not to someone that wasn’t a threat… Aridean internally debated. In her own heart, the turmoil of the current situation had turned to discomfort that teetered on the brink of actual physical sickness. The urge to simply vomit at the thought had begun to build in the pit of her stomach. Yet, even so, her grasp had only tightened as in her mind, she knew Vici was right. One fell swoop of her axe and the mission would be a success. With one raspy inhale, Aridean felt every muscle in her body tense with anticipation.

  “Weak… Warmbloods no kill weak… but want get rid of weak… get… rid of…” came the familiar, deep and gravelly voice of the scaled warrior. Aridean’s eyes shot open wide as the words reached her ears; both of her companions also seemed surprised to hear their bizarre acquaintance speaking aloud again and in a much gentler tone than he had been carrying. Glancing down to her hand carrying the massive war axe, Aridean shook her head before returning her attention back to the lizarian. Her supposed victim did not lift his head to meet her gaze, merely sighed wearily and continued, “Gav’tuu want deimn’la gone but gav’tuu no kill?”

  “Y-yes, i-if there’s something we can do so we don’t have to fight one another, I would much prefer that option,” Aridean stuttered, still somewhat flustered by the encouragement Vici had provided. Quickly, and somewhat clumsily, the minotaur returned her axe to the holster upon her back, all the while she had been biting her lip. With a loud and forceful grunt, the bulging muscles in the reptilian’s shoulders and arms grew visibly tense. With one forceful push off the ground, the lizarian jumped up and steadied himself with ease; his sudden movement had seemingly startled Magdalene to move back over toward where Aridean and Vladimir stood. Even the massive bear had perked up as its owner rose from the ground. Crossing his arms over his chest, the lizardman stared directly into Aridean’s somewhat nervous and curious eyes.

  “Nikira ko’luttieh,” announced the lizarian. The blunt and brief statement was followed by otherwise silence; only the buzz of insects and splashing of something in the nearby waters echoed throughout the swamp. Aridean, Magdalene, and Vladimir all merely stood staring back at their unusual acquaintance. Flicking her hear out of curiosity, the minotaur, joined by the half-elf at her side, turned toward the human man. Their silence asked the question for them though even the scholarly nobleman had pushed a finger to his chin as he internally pondered the meaning behind the lizardman’s words.

  “I do apologize, but this one is a bit difficult. I believe the best translation would be ‘The Warrior’s Path’, though I am unfortunately unfamiliar with what that might entail,” Vladimir commented with a slight shake of his head. His attempted translation was met with another audible grunt and quiet rumbling growl from the lizarian warrior.

  “Not know what Corpse say. Nikira ko’luttieh ritual to prove warrior of swamp,” the reptilian clarified. Once again, the lizardman kept quiet, as though his definition of the term from his own people’s tongue should have made sense regardless of any language barriers. Annoyed, Magdalene huffed quietly before lifting a hand to join in her aggravated rant. However, the girl was stopped as Vladimir let out an astonished gasp.

  “A ritual to prove a warrior of the swamp? Ah, Nikira ko’luttieh must be one of their most sacred of rites! Oh, this is simply exciting, wouldn’t you agree, Ms. Gray? Ms. Yorre?” the nobleman exclaimed; his voice filled with enthusiasm on the subject. His one visible eye shone with his excitement that only seemed to further deepen the confusion both Aridean and Magdalene felt. After the two girls shared a quick glance to one another, non-verbally confirming that neither were able to keep up with the conversation, the young half-elf sighed annoyedly.

  “Anything to get us out of this swamp sooner…” Magdalene stated in a low and irritated voice. Aridean watched as the girl slumped forward slightly, clearly exhausted both mentally and physically with the humid climate and lack of more traditional civilization. With a grunt, the girl swatted a fly buzzing about her right ear before grumbling to herself. Although she agreed with her young companion that the comfort of Stonehaven would be preferable to the Wiir Swamplands, Aridean pushed the thought from her mind as she turned back to the lizarian warrior.

  “This rite… Knee-kira koh-loo-tee-yea? Uhm… it will clear you of the title ‘deimn’la’? A-and we won’t have to fight one another, right?” Aridean asked the lizardman standing before her and her companions. Much to her surprise, the confirmation she was looking for did not come immediately. In fact, a hint of worry seemed to appear in the rough, scaled features of her new acquaintance. Aridean felt her jaw fall slightly agape, unsure on whether or not to speak, as the reptilian’s gaze drifted elsewhere. Allowing himself a deep breath after a brief silence, the lizarian turned back to Aridean and nodded his head once. Although the gesture seemed strange, the minotaur managed to offer a gentle smile, “Okay, y-yeah, let’s do this.”

  “Gav’tuu… mean it? Gav’tuu know deimn’la fail Nikira ko’luttieh first time,” the reptilian pressed further. Aridean could not tell from his deep but honest tone whether the lizardman meant to give her a way out of this or if he were asking in sheer disbelief that she would agree to such a trial. His constant need for confirmation had brought some hesitation and reluctance to the forefront of Aridean’s mind. The minotaur had no concept of this ritual she would be participating in and given the nature of the lizarians, nothing about it would be a simple matter. Biting her lip again, Aridean breathed deeply before nodding her head, securely locking in her decision to accompany the strange lizardman on this journey.

  A quiet groan echoed in the minotaur’s ear, whereupon the furred appendage flicked with curiosity. The deep rumble from the vocal frustration had not come from either Vladimir or the lizarian. Neither of her fellow traveling companions had voiced any negative opinion on the matter; if anything, both Magdalene and Vladimir appeared at least somewhat approving of the decision. The groaning she had heard must have been Vici as the spirit allowed his dissatisfaction to reach her ear. Even so, the spirit had not voiced any further complaint or objection. Turning back to face her fellow warrior, the minotaur drew upon as much confidence as she could muster.

  “Well… If we’re going to be undergoing this… trial together, it would make things easier if I had something I could call you,” Aridean finally said. The otherwise mundane observation was met with an almost repulsed expression upon the lizarian’s face.

  “What mean?” asked the lizarian. A mixture of confusion and skepticism had formed along his scaled features as he tilted his head to one side.

  “Oh, Lord have mercy, she means you need a name!” Magdalene chimed in, clearly annoyed by the lizardman’s obliviousness to something so simple.

  “No,” answered the lizarian, both bluntly and with a shake of his head.

  “W-wha—? I-it’s just so I have something to—,” Aridean began to reason. She found herself trailing off as her newest companion began to utter a deep growl. Behind him, the massive ursine that had been patiently waiting for the group to settle on things let out a deep yawn, flashing massive, white teeth.

  “No name. Not earned,” snarled the group’s odd addition. The spontaneous return of his hostility seemed entirely remedied when the bear shifted slightly to nudge him with its large nose. Turning his back to the travelers, the lizardman had a wry smile stretched across his face as he stroked along the bridge of his pet’s muzzle. With their guest’s attention elsewhere, Vladimir quietly cleared his throat.

  “Ms. Gray, you must understand that the lizarians are very strict with these things. Having been excommunicated from his peers, he likely isn’t accustomed to any long-term company apart from his pet there,” the nobleman explained. As the man spoke, Aridean watched as the lizarian seemed to gently play with the clearly pleased, massive bear. A slight hint of concern had worked its way to her mind as the ursine rolled onto its side and its long tongue had nearly wrapped around her new acquaintance. Instead of any sort of concern, the reptilian snorted amusedly as the long, wet tongue rolled off of him in what Aridean could only assume was an affectionate manner.

  “F-fine… Just… strange is all. Uhm… never mind on the names, I suppose. Let’s just be off then,” replied Aridean with a nervous swallow. Upon hearing that the minotaur was prepared to journey forth, the lizarian turned back to her. His features had returned to a more strict and serious countenance. As though he had been discussing important trade business with the group, it was obvious he did not regard Aridean and her companions with the same level of friendship as his colossal bear. Nevertheless, the scaled head nodded in agreement before the lizarian turned to begin walking.

  Seeing its master leave the scene, a low rumble and quiet call escaped the massive ursine’s throat. Without turning back around, the lizarian waved his right hand signaling for his pet to follow. The trio of non-swamp natives watched as the large bear shifted and climbed to its feet to march after their new companion. Aridean allowed herself to share a quick glance with both Vladimir and Magdalene, each non-verbally conveyed their enthusiasm and unease with the arrangement, respectively.

  As the loud plops of the bear’s paws pounding the muddy ground joined in the other sounds of the swamp, Aridean took a deep breath to settle her lingering nerves. As she lifted her hooves to begin following after her new companion and his pet, both Magdalene and Vladimir moved to follow the minotaur’s lead. Hearing multiple footfalls joining his own, the lizarian turned his head back to inspect the group with what appeared to be confusion upon his scaled features. His quizzical stare prompted all three to immediately halt their advance. With a low growl in his throat, the lizardman turned back to face the trio head on with his arms crossed over his chest once more.

  “No Priestess. No Corpse,” ordered the lizarian as his bear continued to walk onward without stopping. Both Aridean and Vladimir’s eyes had shot open wide at the strange command while Magdalene simply slumped forward as the young girl let out an overly annoyed groan.

  “What? What could it possibly be now?!” the half-elf barked, her agitation slowly evolving into anger. Clearly unfazed by Magdalene’s outburst, the lizarian pointed a clawed finger directly to Aridean.

  “Just gav’tuu,” stated the lizardman. A ferociously agitated scowl spread across Magdalene’s lightly freckled face yet the girl kept whatever enraged thoughts swam within her mind to herself. Aridean, curious to what might be the reason for the group’s new companion’s odd demand, turned toward Vladimir to see if the nobleman could explain what the issue was. Unfortunately, the human seemed just as stumped as she was as he cupped his chin between a finger and his thumb, apparently lost in thought. Eventually, the man lifted his gaze and simply shook his head.

  “I’m afraid I’m not certain what this might be about, Ms. Gray. I do humbly apologize,” Vladimir announced. The man’s inability to explain the meaning behind the lizarian’s directions only seemed to exacerbate Magdalene’s rising frustration. Aridean assumed that the girl’s normal impatience had been absolutely pushed its limits from the humid climate and that these compounding factors left her in a near-inconsolable state of mind. Trying to avoid upsetting the half-elf further, Aridean swallowed nervously before addressing the lizarian warrior.

  “Why must it just be the two of us? Why can Maggie and Vlad not join us?” Aridean asked. Her question was immediately met with a frustrated shake of the scaled head. Flicking her ear, the minotaur was certain she had heard something being muttered under the lizarian’s breath in the lizardfolk’s tongue. She immediately assumed it had been something about how much of an inconvenience she and her companions were being; the quiet slight had flushed her cheeks with a wave of warm embarrassment.

  “Rite for warriors only. Priestess and Corpse no follow,” clarified the lizarian. While Magdalene’s demeanor seemed unchanged by the explanation, Vladimir allowed a defeated sigh to pass his lips.

  “I believe he means to say that only those participating in the rite might be allowed upon the lizarian’s trial grounds. In all honesty, I must admit to being somewhat upset to hear I won’t be allowed to spectate. You will share what you learn of the experience, yes, Ms. Gray?” Vladimir further interpreted, allowing his own personal interest that goes beyond the team’s objective to show. Unable to hold herself back any longer, Magdalene had barely managed to muffle a roar of frustration. The half-elf clenched both fists at her side and stomped angrily in the mud before sneering toward Vladimir.

  “Well, what are we supposed to do then? I’m not sitting in this swamp just for another, untrained bear the size of a house to come by and actually eat me!” snapped Magdalene. Vladimir, despite being the target of the half-elf’s aggression, simply allowed a gentle smile to cross his lips. His silent amusement with her outburst had further enraged Magdalene as the girl let loose another frustrated groan. All the while, Aridean had been contemplating a solution that might keep her remaining companions preoccupied in the meantime.

  “Vlad, why don’t you and Maggie head back to Miahnn’uli for the time being. Once we complete this trial, theoretically the deimn’la will be no more and we’ll need to report our success to the high shaman,” suggested eventually suggested. Both of her warmblood companions turned to face her, each with understanding in their expressions, even if Magdalene’s still seemed upset with the current assignment. Once she had received non-verbal approval of her plan from both the half-elf and human, Aridean’s ear flicked at the quiet musings of the lizarian standing a few feet away.

  “What ‘thee-oh-reh-tick-all-ee’ mean?” asked the lizardman curiously with his head tilted to one side. Magdalene merely rolled her eyes as Vladimir allowed himself a quiet laugh.

  “Perhaps another time, sir,” the nobleman replied gently. The group’s scaled addition seemed somewhat annoyed by Vladimir brushing him off as he let out a forceful grunt, yet the reptilian had otherwise kept quiet. Turning back to the minotaur at his side, Vladimir continued, “Ms. Gray, are you certain of this decision? Even should you succeed, the lizarians in Miahnn’uli may not accept this solution to ‘eliminating’ the deimn’la.”

  “We won’t know if we don’t try, right? I don’t know if it’s the right decision or not, but I want to avoid any bloodshed between us if we can help it,” answered Aridean. She felt a pang of guilt wracking her heart for ever having considered the alternative to her current task. While her response did not carry much conviction or confidence, Vladimir nodded his head understandingly after a brief moment of thought.

  “I don’t get why we can’t come along but you better be careful, okay?” Magdalene called out from behind Aridean. Somewhat startled by the girl’s sudden input, the minotaur turned to look upon the young half-elf with surprise in her eyes. Magdalene’s cheeks had become flushed red and the girl immediately averted her own gaze, “W-what are you looking at me like that for?! J-just come back quick so we can finally get out of this hot, bug-infested swamp!”

  Even with that last statement, I can’t help but feel she might have been a little sincere wishing me well… I’m… a bit surprised to hear it… and glad too, Aridean thought to herself as the astonishment faded. Again, Vladimir expressed amusement with the young girl’s stubbornness while a slight smile formed upon the minotaur’s lips.

  Turning her head back to both of her older companions, Magdalene growled in frustration. Swatting at some flies buzzing about her long, golden hair over her ear, the half-elf began to storm off down the muddied road in the direction of Miahnn’uli. Both Aridean and Vladimir exchanged one final glance before the human nodded in silent understanding. The minotaur stood in place and watched silently as both Magdalene and Vladimir departed.

  “Are you certain about this? This oaf did try to kill you just moments ago and now you are sending off your companions. He could turn on you in an instant,” Vici’s voice whispered in her ear. Aridean turned back to her newest companion that stood mostly stoic but did allow a low rumbling growl to emanate from his throat, marking his impatience with the minotaur he waited on. Believing that they were finally prepared to move on, the lizarian turned in a direction different from Miahnn’uli to follow after the massive bear that now appeared a large brown blob in the distance.

  “I don’t think there’s anything to worry about. Even when he had the chance, that blast of ice was directed to the side of my head; he could have punched a hole through my skull if he wanted to, you know,” Aridean whispered back to the invisible spirit. She thought back to their impromptu duel; Vici had not made any move to dodge the blow directed at Aridean’s head as he commanded her body and limbs. The warrior, despite his insistence on a potential fight to the death, had not seized the opportunity to secure permanent victory. As she spoke, the minotaur lifted her hooves to begin marching after the lizardman on their quest to clear his nameless existence from the stigma set by his people.

  “You are far too trusting, my dear. I advise you keep a close eye on that skink and his cub. Something about them is off even for those that dwell in this miserable swamp,” Vici cautioned, his voice slowly fading away as though the spirit were moving further and further away. Aridean assumed the disappearance of her most peculiar ally must have indicated that he decided to take another rest.

  I guess being Simon’s servant made him a bit overprotective… Thanks for watching out for me, Vici, Aridean thought to herself as she increased her pace to catch up to the scaled individual leading her further into the swamp. With only a few feet between the two, however, the lizarian came to an abrupt halt. Aridean’s eyes widened in surprise as the scaled hands flexed at the warrior’s sides. Both ears fell flat upon the minotaur’s head as the lizardman turned back with a deathly serious expression upon his features.

  “Gav’tuu, before go further… think warmblood word is… t-tay… tank-e-ew?” the lizarian seemed to struggle to say. Both of Aridean’s ears had perked up as she managed to catch her breath again. A nervous smile crossed the minotaur’s lips before she nodded her head understandingly. Having expressed his gratitude, even if it did seem he did not fully grasp the concept, the lizarian turned and continued through the swamp with Aridean following closely.